The Catalyst
by Tero Ne
Summary: John and his father are visiting the Striders in Houston when there is an outbreak of a disease that makes people resemble zombies. They have to survive long enough to get out of the city. Sadstuck/Zombie Fic. This fic will make you cry. Special warnings about the fourth chapter. And it does contain some gore as zombies are not nice people. Happy Fourth of July!
1. Chapter 1

- Day Zero -

"Oh my god! Stop cheating, Dave!" John yells even though the object of his complaints is only two feet away.

"Not cheating, John, it's not my fault the game keeps giving me red shells. Maybe you should get out of in front of me."

"I'm not going to let you win, dipshit."

"Language, John," a deep voice calls out from behind them.

"Sorry, Dad."

"Hey, let the kid talk shit. All's fair in war and Mario Kart but sometimes it's the game that's against ya." Bro leans casually against the kitchen counter, pulling Egbert's attention away from the boys where they played the video game on the futon.

"Dirk, I respect that you have your own rules of the household but do not encourage my son's use of profanities."

"It's fucking weird that you keep calling me that," Bro comments, enjoying the twitch of Egbert's eyebrow at the curse.

"But it is your name, is it not?"

"It's the name Mom gave me when I crawled out of her womb yea, but I go by Bro."

"But you are not my brother." Bro catches the twinkle in Egbert's eye.

"Jesus shit on a stick, old man, you are doing this on purpose again."

John and Egbert senior are in Houston for two weeks while on summer break. Bro doesn't understand the desire to come to these hellish temperatures. Who would willingly choose to visit Texas in the middle of summer. Bro just shakes his head and keeps the air conditioning cranked to the coldest setting.

The Strider residence was slightly cramped with the additional two people but arrangements had been made to get John some sleeping space in Dave's room and Bro had given his bed to Egbert, volunteering to sleep on the futon since he ended up crashing there more times that he actually ended up on a mattress normally. Bro actually enjoyed the company. John kept Dave entertained during the school-less days and having another adult to talk to was a huge contrast to his normally hermit-like existence.

Bro glances over at the boys when John crows in victory despite the increasing boons that the games had been providing Dave. Apparently he needs to school the younger Strider better in the ways of the Kart. He looks back to Egbert to find him looking down at his PDA (who has a fucking PDA in this day and age, doesn't he know about smart phones) with a pretty significant frown.

"Sup, Egbert?"

He holds up a single finger in response, the universal sign to wait. He scrolls down on his phone a little bit more before finally looking up.

"Dir- Bro, can I speak with you out in the hall for a moment?"

Bro lifts an eyebrow at him. What's so important that they have to step outside? What's so important that Egbert would use his prefered name?

"Sure. The brats will be alright without five min of supervision." Bro pushes away from the counter as Egbert stands to follow him as he steps out into the hall. "So. what's up?" Bro asks again.

"An associate of me just informed me of some very grave news. Fedorafreak- I'm sorry, a friend of mine, Jordan, has connections to certain government agencies. Usually he does not discuss work with me but found confidentiality moot in this situation."

"You ain't making any sense. Talk straight."

"Apparently the Center of Disease Control has failed to properly contain a deadly biological agent that is highly destructive and highly contagious. And it has spread to transportation hubs, specifically Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta. As the infected do not show any symptoms for some time, they were not aware of the outbreak until some cases went critical. It has been determined that the agent, codename Zombie, has not been contained within Georgia."

Bro stares at Egbert through his tinted glasses as if searching for any trace of the infamous Prankster Gambit.

"Zombie?"

"Apparently it is aptly named. I do not have any significant details but Jordan assures me that it lives up to it's name and will bring civilization as we know it to an absolute standstill."

"Are you shitting me? You have to be shitting me. 'cause if you ain't then you are telling me that we have a case of biological warfare scenario with something called Zombie. Are we having a fucking zombie apocalypse, Egbert?"

"It would seem so," he answers levelly.

"If this is some kind of joke-"

"This is no joke. I trust Jordan with my life, with my son's life. He has given me advanced notice of the incident because I saved his life once. There will be a formal announcement this evening to the country but by then, it will be too late. I want to ensure my son's survival and I am sure you will want to do the same for Dave."

"Course. But a fucking zombie apocalypse... What the fuck do we do for that?"

"I have a plan."

* * *

"Hey kids, who has ever wanted to experience a real life zombie apocalypse?" Bro greets as he and Egbert step back inside the apartment.

"Not me. Zombie shooters are fun to play, but ew to actual zombies," Dave answers over his shoulder.

"Well too bad. This one is happening whether or not we want it to."

"What the fuck have you been smoking?"

"Oh boy, I wish I have been. Would explain so much. But nope. It's the goddamn truth."

"Seriously, Mr. Egbert, what did you slip him?"

"Dave, as facetious as your brother is being, he is telling the truth."

"What?" both boys chime in.

"So." Bro claps his hands together. "We have some work to do."

* * *

Over the next few hours, the Striders and Egberts raid every grocery, hardware supply store, gun store, club store, and other like retail areas for water, canned foods, gasoline, hardware, ammo, new weapons, a new generator, and anything else they could think of for survival. Turns out that Egbert has some good skill with a rifle and had been giving John lessons on how to use a handgun. Both readily available in Texas. There is always a gunshow going on somewhere. They stretch their bank accounts to the limit but if Jordan was correct, then their bank accounts would be worthless in less than twenty-four hours anyways.

* * *

When Bro picks up a pack of cheap cigarettes from the last store, Egbert raises an eyebrow at him.

"It ain't like I'm gonna die of old age now," Bro comments as he steps away from the register, tucking the pack into his back pocket along with a new lighter. Egbert just nods grimly at the wry smile on the Strider's face.

* * *

The four of them are putting away all of their new purchases with the television on in the background when the news suddenly cuts in. They each stop where they are and look towards the screen where the new anchor confirms the news.

The pause of disbelief is almost palpable across the city.

Bro breaks it in their apartment first by moving to the futon. Egbert joins him at the other end and together they slide it in front of the door.

* * *

- Day One -

They wake up as they fell asleep, with the harsh sounds of people panicking in the streets. They hear the crunch of metal and glass. They hear cars roaring down the street in escape. They hear heated voices arguing with each other over what to take, what to have, who has what. They can only imagine the state of all of the stores they visited the day before now.

They build up the barricade at the apartment door, sliding the planks of plywood behind the futon and working to lock those in place. They organize their supplies and weapons and work out a ration system to get them through a couple weeks. Bro thinks that it's overkill to plan out that far in advance but Egbert won't let up any slack. Dave and John keep an eye on the city out the window. They announce some of the buildings are on fire, but they are far enough away from their building that they should be safe.

The riots get louder as the sun rises in the sky and raise the temperature in the streets. They start to calm as more people evacuate the city, streams of cars filling up all lanes on any and all highways that pass through the city.

"Where are they going? Will it be any safer out there?" John asks out loud.

"It was before everyone and their mother decided to rough it," Bro answers gruffly.

"At this point, nowhere is can be considered safe except for this apartment." Egbert flips through the new channels for more information while they are still available.

"Unless the apartment catches fire."

"Dave! Why do you have to be such a downer?"

"Hey just speaking what we are all thinking."

"Thankfully concrete and steel aren't too flammable so we should be fine."

With that somewhat comforting fact, the four of them fall into silence. Egbert grabs his rifle for cleaning and inspection and sets up near the window. Bro joins him with his katana and an oiling cloth. Dave tilts his head to his room and John follows him.

They sit side by side on Dave's bed with their backs against the wall and their legs draped across the sheets. Their knees bump into each other.

"Do you think we'll make it?"

"How can we not? We got Bro and your dad on our side."

"They aren't invincible."

"Obviously you haven't strifed with Bro. That guy is. And I've seen your dad. He's got all that muscle and strength and he can shoot? No walking dead is gonna get him."

"I've never really been afraid of zombies before."

"You're scared, Egbert?"

There is a pause. "Yea. I am."

"Good. Me too." Dave slips his hand into John's and squeezes. The sun sets, causing the city to glow red and bright. But even as night settles in, the red glow persists.

John's head falls against Dave's shoulder. Dave's stomach twists in sudden nervousness as he catches John's scent. It smells a little like his own shampoo since they had been sharing over the past week but underneath that there is definitely something that is John. It reminds Dave of a summer day which doesn't even make sense because what does summer even smell like and it's definitely not Texas summer and he smells really good. Dave turns his head to press his nose against the black hair and before he can stop himself he presses his lips in a kiss to the top of his head.

"Dave? Did you just kiss my head?"

Dave freezes. Hadn't he been asleep? Isn't that why his head was on his shoulder? "Maybe."

"Why?"

"Because... because I wanted to."

"Why?"

"What sort of interrogation is this? Do I really need to explain my every little action to my best friend who should already know all the answers about me? Seriously John, dropping the ball here on being my soul mate. I thought you actually cared about me but obviously you were just using me to get to my bro and didn't pick up on any of my brain's subtle intricacies otherwise you wouldn't have to ask a question like that." Dave pauses but John doesn't move or speak, apparently still waiting for Dave's actual answer. Dave sighs internally. "Because I think you are cute."

"Why?"

"Because you are cute."

"Why?"

"Oh my god, no. You are not five years old. I know you aren't because then I would feel skeevy and I am not skeevy. It's Bro who is skeevy, I mean, how else do you describe what he does with all those puppets and especially those puppets. With me in the same apartment. I could call up child protection services and be whisked away to somewhere else where my psyche won't be scarred with plush mounds and puppet traps." Again, John just waits patiently. "Because you have good genetics, I don't know. I don't know why I think you are a cute little shit that I just wanna-" Dave's mouth snaps close.

John pulls away a little and turns his body to face Dave. "Just wanna what?" Bright blue eyes shine from behind black frames searching Dave's bright red face.

"Nuthin'."

"No, it's not nothing. I'm a cute little shit and you just wanna..." he trails off to let Dave fill in the blank.

"Let's just say that it's something that has to do with before involving lips but not against hair because I'm not a chaetophille no matter how good it sme-" Dave is interrupted by John leaning forward and pressing his lips against his own. There is a moment of shock before Dave seizes the opportunity and kisses him back, closing his eyes and bringing a hand up to cup the side of John's face.

John tastes sweet and soft with his fuller lips. Dave feels self conscious about his thin ones but apparently John doesn't mind as it is his tongue that darts out to brush across them. Dave eagerly returns the gesture but meets John's halfway. A shiver runs down his spine as John opens his mouth a little to let Dave in and deepen the kiss. Their tongues slide against each other and explore each other's mouth, prodding gums, palates, teeth, lips, cheeks, in the process of swapping spit that seems gross until you are in the middle of it and then it is just heaven.

They eventually part with a soft wet smack of lips when their lungs remind them that they still need to breathe. Dave rests his forehead against John's.

"You are adorable."

"You are a dork."

They get back to making out once they stop laughing with the city's red glow coming in the window.

* * *

- Day Two -

The boys startle awake from where they had been entangled in Dave's bed when a scream comes from outside the window. Both of them leap up and press their faces against the glass. They locate the scream coming from a young woman running down the street. Looking at where she came from, John and Dave see two more people chasing after her with strange looping gaits. But even for their bad form, they are gaining on the girl and catch her before she can turn the corner. The first of the pursuers makes a flying tackle through the air at her and she goes down with another scream. The second one is upon them quickly and then Dave and John lose sight of the girl under the attackers. All they can see is pieces of bloodied cloth flying and more splattered blood staining the pavement. The boys stare with horror unable to turn away even as their guts roil at the gruesome scene. They both recoil from the window when one of the attackers spins away from the victim with an arm in his mouth. They both scramble for the bathroom, John taking the toilet and Dave grabbing the trash can to throw up their dinners.

When their bodies finally settle they sit back against the wall with white faces. Their limbs are still shaking as they try to catch their breath.

"Guess it's real." Their eyes snap up to Bro who is leaning up against the door frame. His face is a grim mask. He turns back into the apartment when Egbert approaches with two cups of water to help wash out the boys mouths. The drink the water and set down the empty cups. Egbert kneels between them and pulls them into a hug. Together they cry into his shirt.

* * *

Throughout the day there is more screaming as more people are caught trying to flee. The number of passing zombies are slowly increasing as well. The boys stay well away from the windows but at least one of the adults maintain at post at the window that leads out to the fire escape.

"Shuffling undead, my ass."

"Yes, they seem to be in fit condition. At least the ones that the virus has initially infected. But notice some of the newer ones aren't doing as well. I think those have been infected by others after the initial release."

"You mean those are the actual undead?"

"I'm afraid so. I saw a young man attacked around noon. And I think I just saw him go by again."

"Fucking hell."

"Reanimation..."

"Where the fuck did this thing come from?"

"Jordan did not have that high of a clearance to that kind of information. But apparently it is man made."

"God have mercy on our souls as we die by the sins of our hands, the sins of our tongues, the sins of our fathers, the sins of our young."

"I didn't know you were religious."

"I'm not. But if ya live long enough in God's country you pick up a bit and when things are this fucked up, a little prayer can't hurt." Egbert nods sagely. "So what else can we tell about these fuckers?"

"It seems that the agent reduces someone to primal need, focusing mostly on food. And I would assume that sustaining the reanimation would take a lot of energy so they seem to be always hungry. That puts them constantly on the hunt. They are sensitive to movement. They seem to ignore pain. Several... victims have tried to defend themselves and caused damage to the... zombies but that didn't seem to affect them that much unless it was an actual loss of a leg or a severe head injury. But anything else didn't slow them zombies down."

"Well shit."

* * *

"Dave. I don't want to go out like that." John curls up into Dave's side. They put a curtain up over the window but it doesn't stop the screaming they hear from beyond it.

"None of us are going to go out like that. We'll get through this and we'll end up dying of old age."

"Where can we go to get away from this?"

"Why don't we hit up Harley? She's pretty damn isolated on that jungle island of hers. We'll go pick up Rose and her mom and all end up shacking out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with Harley and that devil beast of a dog." Dave wraps a comforting arm around John's shoulders.

"Hmm, that sounds nice."

"Yea. I can imagine us now. Hanging out in paradise, tropical jungle on one side, beautiful sandy beach on the other, you frolicking around with a delicious tan in some skimpy swimsuit," Dave trails off in a dreamy voice only to burst out in laughter when John pokes him in the side.

"Hey!" John pouts.

"Hey what? You started macking on me last night. Can you blame me for fantasizing about you on the beach?"

"Uhh..." John turns bright red.

"God you are too cute." Dave leans down and kisses him sweetly. "Too adorable to be eaten by zombies. I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'll protect you."

"I know you will. And you know I have your back, right?"

"Course," Dave hums in agreement. A particular sharp and close scream destroys the moment they have. John buries his face in Dave's shirt, trembling. Dave swallows harshly and tries to calm him by running his hands over John's back, finding the repetitive movement soothing as well.

"I hate this."

"Me too. Hey," Dave says suddenly as he comes up with a distraction for him. "Dadbert says you are pretty good at shooting. Care to show me? Actually... could you teach me a little? I'm pretty sure we have enough ammo to wage war against a small country."

"Yea. Let me ask Dad. And then you can show me how to use a sword. That way I won't always have to shoot around you."

"Are you calling me fat, Egbert?"

* * *

John showed Dave his excellent aim, punching a neat little cluster of holes in the wall. Dave's shots were a bit wilder due to his surprise about how loud a gun could be but near the end of the lesson they were at least within a torso shape. They don't take out the earplugs after their impromptu lesson. The small foam inserts help muffle the screaming city.

Dave teaches John how not to cut himself on a three foot long katana, but in the end, they are both more comfortable with their own respective weapons.


	2. Chapter 2

- Day Five -

John slowly blinks awake with a soreness in his ears that he soon realizes is from the ear plugs that he must have fallen asleep with. His blurry vision reveals something bright and light gold in front of him. He lets out a soft breath and it stirs a little. He flexes his fingers and finds that his arm is being held in place around a soft warm waist. John pulls the sleeping boy closer, burying his head against the golden hair. He drifts off back to sleep.

* * *

When Dave wakes up he extremely sweaty and extremely happy for some unknown reason. It takes him a moment to collect his wandering mind back from his dreams. The last thing he remembered was kissing John who should be around here somewhere. They had fallen asleep in the middle of a pretty hot make out session. After a moment of investigation it turns out that John is the primary reason for his sweaty state. And probably the reason for his waking happiness. And probably a little for the awkward morning wood attempting to break out of his pajama pants.

Frantically he thinks about unsexy shit like strifing with Bro, homework, that bitch of a teacher that nearly failed him because he didn't want to be paired up with his bully. Yea, boner successfully killed.

Until John squirms a little and presses against Dave's backside and seems to have similar problem that he hasn't taken care of.

And Dave is back to bonerville.

Annoyed with himself, Dave decides to make the best of it. It can't be too embarrassing if they are both sporting morning woods. Plus John was making a sauna out of his back. So he carefully rotates underneath the arm wrapped around him until he is facing the source of heat himself. Already his back feels cooler and better.

He leans in and places a soft kiss on John's lips, and he barely holds back a moan when their hips press together. His virtue is spared by four layers of boxers and sleep pants, but damn it feels good. He goes in for another kiss and gets a reaction from John. Blue eyes flutter open and the moan brushes his lips.

"Mornin', John."

"Oh." His eyes widen briefly. "Good morning, Dave."

"Yea it's a good morning." Dave tilts his hips forward and laughs at how fast the blush crosses John's face, but he also notices that John doesn't pull away from him. In fact, that might be John pushing his hips forward. Anything else Dave has to say is lost as John kisses him while pulling Dave closer. The entire lengths of their bodies press close together but most of their attention is focused on how their lower halves brush and slide together. John kisses away a moan when one of his hands slides down to Dave's ass.

They finally pull away from each other with beautiful flushes across their faces.

"Um... Dave? Can I... Can I touch you?"

"Only if I can touch you back and if you can keep quiet. I don't want to have to face your father knowing I made his sweet innocent son moan like a pornstar because of a little mutual masturbation."

"Oh god you're right. Never mind. Nope nope nope." John turns his head to bury it in the pillow.

"No, don't be like that. I'm pretty sure they already know we are together. Bro gave me that look when he looked at your neat and tidy bed. So he knows and since my ass hasn't been beaten by the flat edge of his sword I am pretty sure he's okay with it. And then your dad is pretty cool about anything so can I please touch you, John?" Dave reaches out and brushes away a dark curl from John's cheek.

"Only you could be talking about our guardians in one breath and asking for sexy times with the next."

"I always want sexy times." Dave feels John stiffen up.

"So... have you... done this before?" John asks cautiously. "I mean I guess so. Striders are hot stuff with babes hanging around the corner in a line to get some like you've said on pesterchum," John finishes quietly.

"What? No. Shit. No, John. I- I talk a big game but I've never done any of this. Except for that girl who licked my face and told me it was a kiss back in like second grade, you were my first kiss. I've never done any of this shit ever. Everything I know comes from cheap romances that Bro watches for irony though I am pretty sure that's just a cover and from the free porn that floats around the internet. Shit, I've really put my foot in my mouth this time. It's so far deep that I'm tasting that piece of gum I stepped on the other day. It was sticky from the sun and now it's my purgatory for being such a stupid loud mouth with no sense of couth."

"Oh." Dave waits for more with a nervous twitch of his fingers. He is finally answered by a quick movement that leaves him pinned underneath John with John stealing his breath through a kiss. He smiles at the fact that he hadn't screwed up too badly and returns the kiss with gusto. Dave snakes and hand between their hips and brushes over the front of John's pants. He's greeted with a gasp and a rearranging of legs so that John is somewhat propped above Dave with enough room for Dave to push his waist bands down far enough to wrap a hand around John's erection. John manages to catch the moan before it escapes his throat at the hot touch. Dave's other hand goes down to push his own waist bands down and both of them gasp as the heads of their cocks brush.

"Shh!"

"I'm trying," John whispers back. "Kinda hard when you are doing that!" He gasps out the last word as Dave begins to stroke him.

"Do you like this?"

"Yea."

They both fall silent as John fights to keep quiet. Dave ignores his own erection to patiently work on John's, slowly figuring out what John likes best by the way his breath catches in his throat or when John leans down to kiss him soundly.

When John leans down close to Dave's ear to keen, "Please," Dave remembers a trick he read about and shifts his grip to hold both erections together. A stray moan escapes them. It doesn't take many strokes after that before John harshly whispers a warning and moments later Dave's shirt is stained with two loads of cum.

"Haa haa," Dave breathes heavily. "Shit. That was better than I imagined."

John turns bright red and rolls off of Dave quickly pulling up his pants. "I can't believe I just did that."

"Wait," there is a panicked tone in Dave's voice, "you wanted that right? Are you okay with that? Did you like it? Because tell me now and I won't do it again. I promise I'm not skeevy."

"No, um, no I... liked it. And I want to do it again. Just, wow. First time and all. Give me a moment."

"Oh, yea, I understand." Dave looks down at himself. "I need to go change before the guardians come in to announce breakfast or something. Shit, how are we gonna do laundry? No one ever thinks about laundry in zombie apocalypses."

"Guess we'll just have to do it without clothes next time."

Dave looks sharply over at John who tries to hide his face again in the pillows. "If my shirt wasn't so disgusting, I'd kiss you silly for your genius."

"Just go change."

* * *

"Dad," John shuffles his feet and glances around the apartment. Egbert waits patiently for his son to collect his words. "I'm... I think... I'm gay. Or at least I like guys like that as in like like. I like like guys. I might still like girls but right now it's guys, well, a guy."

"And you are in a relationship with the younger Strider. Congratulations."

"You aren't upset?" John's eyes are big and bright behind his glasses.

"No. I would never be upset over something like that. I will always support whatever makes you happy. And I am glad you found something that makes you happy during these times."

"Thanks, Dad." John throws himself into Dad's arms for a big hug.

* * *

"Dave, may I have a word with you?" Egbert calmly asks from the doorway to Bro's room. Dave and John exchange quick glances before the blonde nods and follows Egbert into the room. He swallows as Egbert closes the door behind him. "It has come to my attention that you are in a relationship with my son."

"Uh.. yea- Yes, sir."

"Congratulations. If I had supplies I would have baked a cake for the occasion but as it stands, I can only give you my heartfelt blessings."

"Oh. Thanks." Dave steps inside Dad's embrace. It is a quick hug but when Dave steps back, he finds Egbert's hands are on his shoulders.

"I do have to warn you though, if you break my son's heart I will personally break you." Egbert gives a squeeze with his hands and Dave understands his implications perfectly.

* * *

"Nice catch," Bro says casually as soon as his bedroom door closes behind Dave. John whips around with his almost panic across his face. "Glad you found some grade A Strider for you to mack on and do other things to." John blushes heavily. "You're good for him."

"Thanks?"

"No problem." Bro returns to looking out over the city.

* * *

"Egbert. Shift change." Bro settles down across from Egbert at their station by the window. "Give me a summary of today's lessons."

"One moment." Egbert lifts the rifle up to his shoulder and looks down the view. Bro watches him breath in, then out, and then pull the trigger. The silencer at the end of the gun keeps the shot to a muted whisper. The gun's kick barely makes it twitch in Egbert's hands. Instinctively Bro looks to the general vicinity that Egbert was aiming and catches the sight of a body falling to the ground. He stares at it for a while before he is sure that it's not getting up, for once.

"It's dead. Like really dead. What's the trick?"

"I am predicting that the virus is taking over the nervous system of the host. Only fatal injuries such as spinal separation or head shots seem to stop a zombie. Otherwise you just disable them until they compensate for the injury."

"Seriously? Sounds like a bad video game."

"Well, those are just my conclusions from my observations and my own experimentation as demonstrated."

"You've been taking potshots at the zombies?"

"Yes."

"Ain't that a waste of ammo?"

"Not when every shot counts."

"Dude. That's badass."

"I'm glad you approve, Strider. I've also noticed that there are more zombies out when the sun is in the sky. Mornings and evenings have a little activity but during the night there are hardly any. And those that are out are more like your shuffling undead even when hunting."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I think it's a combination of temperature and circadian rhythm. Even though it does not get very cold here in the south, the temperature difference between day and night is enough to trigger a change. Along with the lack of light."

"Right. So we could pull a Mr. Freeze and be safe?"

"Possibly. Though extremely impractical. You'd probably also need to block out the sun as well. It does mean that very isolated areas and those that are further north with lower temperatures will be relatively safe."

"I have never hated the south more than I do right now. But hey, it gives humanity a chance."

"That it does."

They fall into a companionable silence only broken by Egbert taking down another zombie farther down the street. Bro notices one a little closer working its way along the storefront. It does seem to be moving a little slower now that it is evening.

"Hey, could I take a shot? Haven't used a rifle since an old boyfriend. And even then he prefered a blunderbuss. Goddamn crazy weapon."

"That is most definitely a unique one. But of course, if you wish to try. I have a few rounds left in that magazine." Egbert passes the weapon to Bro who is slightly surprised at its weight. But after a few moments of getting comfortable, he catches sight of the zombie he saw through the view. Using Egbert's strategy under advisement, Bro draws in a deep breath, releases it, and pulls the trigger.

While the silencer quieted the shot, Bro's exclamation of "Jesus take the wheel!" at the kick of the gun that nearly knocked it back into his face echoes on the nearby buildings. Egbert just raises an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry. Wow. That kickback. Wow. Dude, you need to give me your workout routine because this ain't your only gun. Goddamn. And of course the fucker ain't dead. Okay let's try this again."

Better prepared this time, Bro lines up the shot, breathes, shoots, and doesn't shout like a woman in church. In fact the gun only jumps a little in his hands. The kick still isn't as suppressed as it was in Egbert's hands but it's still an improvement.

The zombie collapses.

* * *

- Day Six -

"Yo, 'bert."

Egbert glances back into the dark apartment. The moonlight softly highlights Bro's form walking towards him.

"I've been thinking," Bro pauses to settle himself against the wall.

"How's that been working out for you?"

"Damn. Who woulda thunk that it'd take a zombie apocalypse to sharpen your wit."

"I've always had a sharp wit. I've just held my tongue."

"Well, I like that you don't feel like you have to anymore." Egbert just tips his head. "Anyways, your comments about the zombies powering down at night has got me thinking." Bro's voice slips into a slightly deeper tone and loses its usual flippancy. "We don't know what's going on outside of our door besides what we can see from the window. There were a couple neighbors that weren't complete assholes for the X number of years I've lived here. And since the zombies all conk out at night, I was thinking that maybe an exploratory dash through the other floors might be a good idea."

Egbert doesn't react immediately; he thinks through Bro's suggestion.

"I don't think dash is quite the appropriate word to use here. Not that I doubt your speed. That trick of yours is very impressive but it might be put to better use to escape rather than to explore. But you are correct in suggesting that we should learn more about the state of this building. And night does seem to be an appropriate time."

"Thought you might be aligned to that idea." Bro slips the katana out of its sheath that is hanging at his side. Egbert hadn't seen it in the dark but the exposed blade almost glows in the faint moonlight. "Just need ya to lock up behind me and someone to open the door for me when I knock."

"You want to do this tonight?"

"No time like the present."

Egbert mulls it over a moment more before nodding and climbing to his feet. "You must be careful. I do not want to have to face Dave if you don't come back after I grant you this permission."

"I gotcha. I'd feel the same about John if something ever happens to you." They reach the barricade and quietly take it down enough so that Bro can slip out.

* * *

The dark hallway feels like something out of a cheap horror film. This one is a little worse for wear than the previous nine. The going had been slow so far as Bro takes Egbert's suggestion to be cautious. So far he hasn't run into anyone, human or zombie. He's gone into all of the apartments, those that were left unlocked in a panicked escape and those that were locked using skills from his days before he raised Dave. He made note of who had what supplies left so that they could come back for them later.

For some reason floor ten has all of his nerves on ends. His blade leads the way down the hall. He keeps himself pressed up against the wall as he checks each door. He finds several that are locked but he doesn't break in yet. Something's not right about this hall.

He comes to a door that swings open to his light touch. The hinges apparently are nicely oiled as it opens silently. Bro's breath catches in his throat as he sees the figures inside. Mentally he is swearing up a storm because holy shit that's a family of zombies. They are just standing here, all facing away from him thankfully but there are seven, no, eight of them in there. The word family is used because two of them are smaller than the rest. Two of them are children. Bro's guts go ice cold as he silently backs out of the room and flashsteps the fuck off of that floor. He's up two more flights of stairs before he finally stops moving.

His heart beats in his ears and it's not just from the physical exertion of moving that fast.

He quickly goes into one of the opened apartments and finds several large, unwieldy but light enough for him to carry pieces of furniture. They'd have to do for now. He lugs them out of the apartment and takes them down a landing and quickly constructs a barrier in the stairwell that seals off the zombie family from coming up. He makes sure that the temporary wall is tall and secure with no holes big enough for those kids- for those smaller zombies to get through.

He's glad the apartment complex only has that one central stairwell. Having multiple would be difficult, especially with how much his hands are shaking. Once he is satisfied with the barricade he books it back up to the apartment. Egbert opens the door up when he knocks. He waves of Egbert's expectant expression with a "I'll tell ya in the morn," before he goes and curls up at the window sill to take his shift in watching the city.

* * *

- Day Ten -

There are a couple benefits to living on the top floor of the apartment complex. One, they didn't have to clear out any zombies above them. Two, easy access to the roof. The chain link fence that was put up to keep idiots from going over the edge turned out to be a very useful, easy-to-move zombie barrier to use on the stairwells to replace the mess of furniture that Bro had initially used thanks to a little creative engineering on Egbert's part.

They had been using it to block off each floor in front of them as they go through and clear out the zombies that seems to be trapped in the building. They work at night since the zombies tend to be less active at night. Bro went first, back down to the floor that he found the zombies earlier. Egbert and John covered the exits while Dave stayed in the apartment to man the door. He collected himself and then quickly dispatched the zombie family, all eight of them, with swift strikes to decapitate the bodies.

He had to fight hard not to retch at the sound of the soft flesh falling to the ground. He made sure not to look at the heads and the blank expressions as they rolled away. The last few hadn't really even reacted which was the point of doing this exercise at night.

He steadied himself and left the apartment, locking it behind him. He checked out the rest of the floor but didn't find any other zombies. Just some remains of where the group had eaten. He returned to the stairwell and they moved the gate down to the next floor.

The next night, Bro took Dave with him to explore the next floor, leaving John to cover the stairwell and Egbert back up in the apartment. Two apartments were occupied. Bro took out the larger group with Dave watching carefully for his technique. Dave took out the smaller group similarly and Bro helped him through the bout of nausea afterwards. They went through the kitchens of those two apartments before locking them up, tagging the doors with paint.

Egbert and John cleared out the next floor, finding several apartments with zombies. The only useful treasure they found was a stash of water in gallon jugs. They sealed up the rooms with the dead and moved the gate down. John returned to the apartment pale and shaking and Dave held him tight through his nightmares.

* * *

It's Dave and John's turn tonight to clear out the floors with Egbert at the stairs and Bro in the apartment. They creep along the hallway, testing each door they find, noting none are locked. There aren't any zombies here either. They move the gate up and head to the next floor, hopeful at the previous success.

They don't speak; instead they carefully watch the gestures of the other in between straining their eyes against the darkness of the hallway. They find two zombies in the first room. They each take one down, getting used to targeting their weak spots, getting used to the sound of the dead falling. They sweep through the rest of the apartment and move onto the next. Another pair taken out just as quickly.

The third apartment had a single that Dave decapitates. The taste of bile in his mouth is now familiar but he remains composed. He just chants in his head that they are no longer human. Zombies are no longer human. Zombies are not humans. Zombies are not human.

There are five in the next apartment. Dave signals that he can take two, pointing them out. John nods ready to take out the other three. With a quick countdown they attack. Dave's sword cuts cleanly through the first of his pair. Not as cleanly through the second, the edge of his sword catching on a bone. John drops the first two but the sound draws the attention of the third which starts to turn towards John. It's jaw opens and a hand reaches up. John freezes as it takes its first shuffling steps, a scream locked in his throat.

"John!" Dave whispers harshly, yanking his sword out of the mangled corpse at his feet. He leaps over the couch at the zombie now too close to John. Dave's blade whistles through the air even before his feet have landed, The extra force behind the attack from his panic makes the now separated head fly across the room and slam into the far wall. The loud thump echoes in the emptiness as the loudest thing they've heard since sunset.

John watches the body cumple in front of him revealing Dave standing there, breathing hard at the fear still coursing through his system. Dave drops his sword, the clatter making John flinch but before he can move, Dave is pressing him up against the wall. Dave's hot lips are against his, frantic for comfort. John recovers his hands and grips Dave's shirt, pulling him even closer. Both of them pour their fear and stress into the kiss. Tears stream down their cheeks.

"Don't you fucking do that again," Dave whispers harshly as he leans his forehead against John's.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't freeze up on me. We have to survive. We have to get out of this hell. Don't leave me here," he murmurs against John's lips, stealing kisses in between sentences.

There is a sound behind them and John is throwing Dave off and he shoots the zombie that Dave didn't kill cleanly as it tried to pull itself across the carpet.

"Fuck fuck fuck. I'm done." He gun shakes in his hands.

Dave picks up his sword and drags John out of the room. He glances down the hall. "There's only one more apartment left before we can call it clear. One more."

"Fuck you, Dave," John whispers with venom in his voice.

"Later, John," he quips back trying to lighten the mood. "One more and then I promise we can go home and make Bro take on the next floor."

John doesn't answer but Dave hears the click of the gun as he readies it.

John is right behind his shoulder and his katana is held out in front of him as he slowly twists the door knob. Dave startles back, knocking into John with a shout as a hunched form fills the doorframe. The low moan that comes from its throat makes it feel like Dave's heart has stopped. John gets his gun up but with shaking hands the shots go wide and bury themselves in the zombies chest and somewhere behind it as it lurches forward. Dave recovers just enough to get another push back away from door. They hear the muted crack of a rifle shot as the zombie suddenly pitches to the side with less of a head than it started with. John's gun comes back up to the door but finds the doorway empty. He doesn't move from the vigilance on the empty room even as soft steps approach them.

"You boys aren't hurt, are you? Not bitten or touched right?" Egbert's voice cuts across their hard breathing.

"No. Just... just two close calls. I think we are done."

"I told you, Dave. I fucking said-" his voice breaks as the flood of emotions hit him. His gun shaking but still pointing at the room they haven't fully cleared.

"Stay here." Egbert shoulders the rifle and draws his own handgun and enters the apartment to do a sweep. He's back quickly without finding any other zombies. He finds Dave cradling John's head as his son sobs into his chest. "Come on, boys. That's enough for tonight."

On unstable legs they make their way back to the stairwell. Egbert takes a moment to fix the gate to that floor and then climbs with them up to the apartment. The journey is silent.

John immediately goes to the bathroom and they can hear the lock turn.

"Everyone alright?" Bro asks, worried about the odd behavior.

"No one is hurt," Egbert answers carefully. Dave stares at the bathroom door. "I don't think it is a good idea to send just the boys. Not that they can't handle it, but there were two close calls as I understand it."

Bro glances over at Dave; he confirms with a quick nod. "Right. I'm game for that. I'm a nervous wreck waiting alone up here anyways. Always been more of a man of action. So, is the kid gonna be alright?"

"I don't know. Zombies weren't exactly in the parental handbook."

"Shit, those actually exist? Why didn't I get a copy when I raised Dave's ass?"

"I'm gonna go talk with him," Dave breaks in.

"Let us know if we can do anything to help, Dave."

Dave walks over to the bathroom door, opens it, slips inside, and closes it gently behind him. He can see John startle from where he is curled up in the tub. "Lock's been broken since oh seven. I throw a fit and stormed in here, locking it. Bro busted down the door and we've never fixed the lock."

"Oh."

Dave walks over to him, smooth and steady as if John is a skittish animal. He carefully steps in as John scoots forward. He sits down behind John. He wraps his arms around John's shoulders and pulls him close to his chest.

"I'm scared, Dave."

"No shit. You'd have to have something utterly wrong with you if you weren't terrified. I'm glad I didn't have anything to drink with dinner because otherwise it would have been running down my leg."

"Gross, Dave," John laughs.

"Hey at least you are laughing." They giggle together for a while and then fall back into silence.

"I'm sorry," John whispers.

"Me too." Dave kisses the side of his head. John's shaking eventually subsides and they move to the bedroom, avoiding the adults. John curls up against Dave's chest and lets his shirt soak up the errant tears.


	3. Chapter 3

- Day Fifteen -

They cleared the whole building down to the lobby. They stopped there because it had too many entrances and broken windows to ensure that they could keep all the zombies out. They brought all of the supplies from the other apartments back up to their own and recalculated the rations. They bought themselves about two more weeks worth of food and water. There wasn't much in the way of tools or weapons to add except for a single stash of some handgun ammo, a large hammer, and a very organized display of screws and nails from the janitor's closet.

* * *

"So what's today's zombie lesson, Egbert?"

"Their behavior patterns are changing now that their prey has all fled or are in defensible locations."

"Like ours."

"Yes. I haven't seen any survivors today and I only saw one band yesterday."

"So what are the zombies doing about that? Gotta be starving by now."

"I would assume that too. And I would have also assumed that they would have gone feral, more so than at inception, but instead it seems like... I'm not sure, but they are working together. They don't attack each other but are starting to form packs, hordes. They work together to hunt and seem to share their spoils with the group."

"That's terrifying." Bro's voice is low and soft. The boys look up from their spot on the couch with wide eyes.

"Very. But to go along with that bad news, it seems that they do not have any regenerative abilities. As they ignore pain, they are slowly being damaged and without the ability to heal, some zombies stop functioning. Those become food for the others. But that just means that they all will eventually fail. We just have to outlast them. We just have to survive long enough."

"But just how long is long enough?"

"I don't know."

Bro glances between him and the boys. "Well, if anyone can survive 'long enough,' it's us."

* * *

Soft gasps of breath mingle with the rustle of sheets as two bodies come together with passionate kissing. Hands wander across bare skin, clothes long since discarded in favor for direct closeness. They rub against each other in mistimed thrusts, hard cocks brush against soft skin. Rough calluses from the use of weapons scrape across skin as they grab at each other. Dave's mouth is hot against John's neck as he pushes him down into the mattress.

"Ah, Dave!"

"John," he murmurs back. "You are so hot, you know? I love you. I want you."

"I love you too, Dave."

"Can I... shit... can I fuck you? Don't want to die a virgin and I love you and I want you and god you are so hot and I love you."

"You've said that."

"So... can I?"

John swallows hard as he considers the request. He gets the barest nod out before Dave sweeps it away in another kiss. He leaves John stunned and breathing hard when he nearly throws himself off the bed to get to his nightstand, reaching inside the cinder block for a small bottle of lube and a condom.

"Why do you have those? You said you were a virgin."

"They're Bro's. I snagged them a while ago. They should still be good. I think they spoil after years not weeks." John eyes the materials with a sense of apprehension which wars against the arousal he feels. "Trust me, it'll be a lot better with them. Okay, so the first thing I need to do is get you prepped, so lie back down."

John settles back and Dave kneels between his legs. John watches closely as Dave pours the lube into his hand, letting it warm up before reaching down. John closes his eyes at this point and tries to take a deep breath to relax. He still jumps a little at the first contact but Dave continues, brushing his fingers over John's entrance.

"Tell me if it hurts or if you don't want to do this. We can stop at any time," Dave tells him. John nods. He lets out a soft gasp as Dave pushes one finger in until he slips inside. Carefully and slowly, Dave slides his finger further.

"It feels weird, Dave." John squirms as Dave continues to work his finger in and out.

"Duh. It's supposed to feel weird at first, but then it gets good."

"How do you know? What have you shoved up your ass?"

"I've read about it. Something called the internet. Nothing's been up my ass... Well..."

"Well what?"

"I have... you know... touched myself before. Back when I first figured out that I was kinda into guys."

"Did it get good for you?"

"Not really. Just felt weird, but I didn't do much, not with the threat of Bro walking in on that. He really doesn't buy the concept of privacy." Dave tries curling his fingers against John's soft insides, getting more squirms and grunts of discomfort until,

"Oh! There! Touch that again!"

Dave mimics his previous action and gets another wide eyed gasp from John. Using the distraction, he slips in a second finger. John breathily groans at the slight burning stretch. Dave takes it slow, gently working him open and adding more lube as he goes. He read that there is no such thing as too much lube. It goes back to feeling weird for John but now that he has had a taste of pleasure, he's a little more willing to put up with it. Eventually they both feel comfortable enough to add a third finger. Dave patiently waits for John to take big deep breaths to relax again before slowly working his finger in and out. He enjoys the soft sounds as his knuckles slip in and out of that ring of muscle. He manages to brush against that certain spot again which make John nearly leap off the bed with bolts of pleasure.

"Please, Dave, please!" Blue eyes stare up at him with want and need so very visible in their hot depths. Dave pauses at their intensity. "Please." Dave slides his fingers out and scrambles for the condom, his slick fingers fumbling with the foil edge. John snickers at his cry of triumph, but ends up biting his lower lip in anticipation as Dave rolls it down his length. He mentally reminds himself to breathe and relax.

Even then he hisses at the stretch as Dave's lubed and covered cock presses against his entrance, larger and blunter than his fingers.

"Oh my god, John. It feels so good. Holy shit, it feels incredible. Like I'm surprised I can find words it's that good. I love you, John, thank you thank you," Dave constant stream of words actually helps John keep his mind off of the pain even as Dave slides deeper, much deeper than he was able to with his fingers. "Oh John, so hot, so tight, god this is amazing." As soon as Dave's hips press against the back of his thighs from where Dave is holding them up, John reaches up and pulls Dave down by his shoulders into a fierce kiss. Despite how much he wants to do otherwise, Dave holds completely still inside of John, waiting for that complete tightness to relax just a bit. "I love you, John," he murmurs against his boyfriend's lips.

"I love you too." He lets go of Dave just enough to look into his ruby red eyes. "Uh... you can move now."

Dave starts off slow making sure that John is really alright with this. But from the way John gasps when Dave slides almost all the way out and then pushes back in, Dave thinks he is doing a good job. He keeps the slow steady pace for some time before John is once again grabbing Dave's shoulders.

"Faster, Dave. More."

Who is Dave to deny that request. He starts pumping his hips faster. John rolls his own hips to meet Dave's thrusts causing him to moan. Dave ducks his head against John's shoulder, his back arched over the other boy as he moves faster and makes each stroke harder. John's breathing is laced with soft sounds that Dave drinks in and adds his own.

The sheets rustle against their bodies and the bed creaks with the rocking movement, but they don't hear that. Their entire universe is contained within the closeness of their two bodies. They can only focus on the heat of each other, the slickness of lube and sweat, the surrounding and filling feelings of their lower halves. Dave watches how John's front teeth dig into his lip. John hears the wet slapping sounds.

Dave grips John's thigh with one hand and balances himself with the other to get another angle. He slips impossibly deeper and John arches up into him mouth wide open. Dave can't help himself when he mouths the taut column of John's throat. When John mewls at Dave's hot tongue, Dave's rhythm falters. John crashes into him as he pulls away and he groans at the mismatch, but they don't care.

They fumble through erratic thrusts as both of them are too wound tight to pay attention and thoughts too scattered to correct it. Dave tries to ramp up his speed to John's increasingly higher moans, catching his own name ever other breath.

"Dave, oh god, yes, Dave, Dave, there, Dave!"

"John, fuck, John, you are, oh John!"

John pushes at Dave's shoulder with one hand just to get enough room to slip the other down to his own cock that has been bouncing against his torso. Dave tries to thrust in time with John's strokes but John's hand is going too fast as he throws his head back and grinds against Dave's cock, trying to get Dave as deep as possible. His moans cut off as Dave angles his next thrust and hits that spot inside him. His entire body stiffens up as Dave grabs his hips and repeats the same action again and again until John cries out a mangled version of his name and comes on his chest. The sudden tightness around Dave and the sight of boyfriend breathlessly caught in pleasure sends him over the edge too. He buries himself deep inside John's heat and fills the condom up.

He finally collapses down on John with a rain of breathy laughs and kisses. John returns them as his body relaxes down, stiffly lowering his legs down as well.

"I love you, John, I love you. That was amazing, you were amazing. Just wow. Ten out of ten, would do a thousand times again."

"Wow is a pretty accurate term. Didn't think it would be that good. First time and all."

"Just means it will get better."

"Though next time I'm on top."

"You wanna ride me cowboy?" Dave presses his wide sloppy grin against John's shoulder.

"No, I'm going to fuck your ass next."

"Alright, alright. Because yea that was awesome."

"Now get off me! You are sweaty and disgusting."

"I'm glowing not sweating and perfectly comfortable." Dave wraps his arms tighter around his boyfriend.

"You are lying on my cum," John's face flushes deep red at saying that aloud.

"I would say I don't care because I love you and want to cuddle your ass until the end of the apocalypse and everything is back to normal," Dave gingerly lifts himself up off John, sliding out of him with a wet pop and hisses from both of them, "but yea that's kinda gross."

"We can still cuddle," John says quickly. "Just need to clean up first."

"I am totally down with that plan. Naked cuddles."

"Naked cuddles," John agrees.

They move about the room finding towels and paper towels to clean up the mess between them, shortly returning back to the bed with much cooler temperatures and comfortable positioning. John curls into Dave's side, pillowing his head on his chest. Dave absently strokes his dark hair.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

"You do know what they are doing in there, right?" Bro climbs through the window to find a good seat next to Egbert on the fire escape. He leans back and pulls the pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket before weaving his arms on the lower rung of the guard rail.

"Of course. I was no stranger to such actions as a youth."

"I just thought you'd be busting the door down to preserve John's innocence from whatever depravity my little brother can inflict."

"Do I need to? I just thought it would be best to let the boys enjoy themselves as much as they can while such a threat looms over us. We are doing alright now, but the idea that we will all get out of this safely is an unrealistically high hope."

"Shit, man. I thought you were an optimist."

"I am. Just to a reasonable point though. It's the same reason why you have picked up smoking."

"Again. I'm picking it up again. Gave it up when Davey became mine."

"I too have had to watch my habits around John. Most of my pipes are just for show now."

"You wanna bum one?" Bro offers the cigarette from his fingers in Dad's direction.

"No thank you. The offer is kind but cigarettes and pipes are not interchangeable."

"Huh, didn't know that."

"I'd assume there is a lot that you do not know."

"Hey now."

"And probably a lot of things that you will never get to learn now that the world as we know it has so drastically changed."

"Okay, you went from okay to teasing to fucking depressing in less than ten seconds."

"Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive. Just... are you doing okay?"

"I am holding up, Strider."

"Good. Because y'know... I'm not very good at that kind of thing."

"Dealing with mental breakdowns in the middle of the zombie apocalypse?" Egbert says wryly.

"Yea. That shit."

"I promise to keep it together."

They fall into a companionable silence for a while until Bro shifts to face the man sitting next to him.

"Hey Egbert." Bro pulls the cigarette from his mouth.

"Yes, Stri-" He is cut off by Bro's lips pressing against his in a stiff awkward kiss. Bro holds the position for a couple seconds longer than Egbert would have expected before pulling back red in the face under his angled shades.

"Ah... yeah... sorry about that. But nope. Wow, that was awkward. Can't blame me for trying but yeah, we can forget that ever happened. Just go back and erase your memory to the last ten seconds because why? We don't know because it's already gone."

"Forgive me."

"Forgive what? Nuthin' happened. It's all good." Bro leans back on his hands, his fingerless leather gloves protecting his palms from the edges of the metal grate. The cigarette hangs loosely from his lips. "We'll survive long enough."

* * *

- Day Eighteen -

Bro wakes up quietly. He glances over at where Egbert is sitting at the fire escape, almost a permanent fixture at this point. One of the adults are always sitting there watching the city.

Just watching the city won't help though.

Bro makes up his mind and looks around the room for everything that he would need. His weapon, a backpack, bottles of water, couple snack bars, a smaller knife. He carefully folds the blanket to the side and then quickly flashes around the room to gather the items ending up by the front door. As much as he hates the idea of leaving the door unbarricaded, it's the only way out. He reassures himself that the building is uninhabited and he'll secure the gate at the bottom.

When he walks out into the lobby he is struck by how ragged it looks now in the faint morning light, especially compared to the last time he walked through here. The staff always kept this place shiny and clean, and now it's strewn with rubble and glass and blood. Bro wonders if any of the staff got out alright.

He creeps to the front door and peers out to the streets. They look alien and familiar to him at the same time. They didn't use to look like this and while he had watched the transformation, the change of angle throws him off. But they are still his Houston streets. Quickly but cautiously he moves out with his sword drawn to explore his city with only one glance back up to the fire escape at the top of his building.

* * *

"What do you mean he left?" Dave screams at Egbert. "How did he get out without you seeing or hearing him? He's not an actual ninja! You were supposed to be on watch!" Dave's voice goes harsh as John struggles to hold Dave back. "Let me go! Let me go after him!"

"No, Dave. I'm not letting your brother's stupidity kill you both."

"So you'll let him die alone!"

"That was his choice," Egbert states back, not as calm as he would like to be. He is feeling the guilt weigh down on him at not catching Bro's actions until it was too late and for making the decision not to go after the wayward Strider, but he will not risk the boys.

"Let me go!" His voice breaks as he struggles against John's hold.

"Dave! Dave, stop! Please, Dave!" John pleads with his struggling boyfriend.

"We have to go find him!" Dave sobs.

"We have no idea where he went. All we can do is wait for him to come back. He knows how to fight. He'll come back."

"I'll hate you if he doesn't," there is a venom in his voice and a rage in his eyes that Egbert accepts. He stares with bared teeth a couple moments more but when Egbert doesn't back down, Dave gives up his struggles. John doesn't let him go, but pulls him tighter. Dave lets himself be wrapped up as John tucks him close looking at his father over the blonde's head with wide begging eyes. Egbert's heart twists but he remains resolute and shakes his head once before returning to his watchful post.

* * *

It is just before dusk when Egbert catches white moving down on street level. He watches Bro move furtively along the shadows of the building. Anger starts replacing the worry that was knotted in his chest. A righteous fury builds as Bro enters the lobby. Egbert doesn't move into the apartment immediately but slowly counts the time.

He rises and stretches slightly, trying to temper his emotions. He walks to the door and pulls away the blockade just as he hears the knock on the door. He hears movement from Dave's room behind him but ignores that in favor of opening the door and grabbing a handful of white polo shirt.

Egbert drags Bro inside and slams him up against the wall next to the door. He steps in close. He can smell the stale sweat on Bro's skin from moving about in the sun. Two bags fall to the ground out of Bro's startled hands. Egbert can see his eyes go wide behind his signature glasses, he's so close he can see their amber color through the tinted glass. Egbert angrily rips them away from Bro's face and hears them skitter and knock against a leg of a table somewhere behind them.

Bro's infamous poker face is edged with confusion and fear as he takes in the rage on Egbert's.

"You have fucked up, son," Egbert growls at him. Bro gets a moment to swallow hard before he finds a fist in his gut knocking his breath out. He gets no chance to recover before the same hand comes crashing across his jaw while he is held in place by the fist in this shirt pressing against his windpipe. The third blow comes just as quickly and Bro can feel his lip split under the pressure between Egbert's knuckles and his own teeth. The knee to the groin is painful but Bro can't get a shout out against Egbert's iron grip and follow up blow to the face. This time Bro can feel his nose explode with blood.

"Bro!"

He's able to bring up an arm to block the next blow but that just makes Egbert redirect to his guts again. Bro lashes out but with three blows to the head already and pain lancing through the rest of his body, it's a sloppy right hook that Egbert dodges and follows up with several quick jabs to Bro's exposed side. He glances up and catches the rawness of Egbert's face. He goes for another swing to try to knock that expression off but just ends up with a blocked arm and more pain blossoming from his torso. Giving up the offense, Bro curls up on himself with arms braced over his face and upper torso. He tries to drop to the ground but is held up by two strong hands on his shoulders.

"Don't you ever leave without permission or I swear you won't ever flashstep again." He waits for Bro's eyes to connect with his stormy blues before letting him go. Bro slides down the wall as Egbert turns sharply on his heel and crosses the room without even a glance at the two boys standing wide eyed and open mouthed at their guardians. He grabs the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from the table then steps out to the fire escape.

Dave runs over to Bro, kneeling in front of him and scooting the rest of the distance on his knees.

"I should fucking h-hit you myself, you fucking-" the rest of the words die in his throat as he grabs Bro's shoulders and presses his face into the familiar white polo. He stays like that for a moment, Bro's arms coming up to encircle his heaving back. Dave finally pulls away, the same dark fire from before in his eyes. "How dare you do that, Bro? You can't do that to me!" Dave's voice is strained and breaking as he yells only inches from Bro's face. Bro tries to look away but Dave grabs his chin and brings him back. Bro winces as Dave's fingers press into the already swollen skin. "Why, Bro? Why? I can't lose you. I can't... I can't... Goddamn it, Bro. I love you, Bro, and you just- you just went away!" The tears are flowing easily down his face. Bro reads all the anguish on his little brother's face and lets his own tears go. He closes the distance between them and crushes Dave to his chest, ignoring all of the pain.

"I'm sorry."

John approaches gingerly with a first aid kit, some extra water, and some towels to get Bro all patched up from Egbert's wrath. Dave eventually shifts to the side to let them work but always keeps at least one hand on his brother, usually curled into the now blood stained shirt.

Dave looks away when John helps Bro reset his nose and notices the bag that Bro had dropped to this side. It's new, not one of the ones they had laying around the apartment or even one of the ones that the Egberts brought from Washington. He leans against Bro's side, not caring at the hiss of breath that comes from pressing against sore ribs, as he unzips it and finds several bottles of apple juice and several boxes of doritos.

"Bro, you are the most moronic moron this moronic universe has ever seen. You are the moron king of all of Moron-dia ruling over all of your moron subjects who are all as moronic as you because they are you, you moron."

"I know," Bro acknowledges softly. "You ran out of apple juice a week ago."

"I hate you."

"I love you too, kiddo."

John finishes throwing all of the bloody bandages into a trash bag, glad to see that the only injuries Bro had were inflicted by his father. John shudders at the connotations otherwise. He glances over to the window and hears the now familiar pop of the rifle. John frowns when he notes the frequency of each shot. He leaves the Striders to sort themselves out and joins his father outside.

"They are hunting."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing, Dad."

Egbert calmly drops the empty magazine and clips in a new one. He cocks the rifle, aims, and shoots. "It's not. They followed him."

John looks out over the railing and sees more zombies, more faces, gaunt and ragged, at once than he has seen the entire time.

* * *

- Day Nineteen -

They can hear the gate rattling all the way up the stairwell.

When they go down to set up more barricades at different levels, they can hear the soft pops of explosions where zombie trigger traps set up by Egbert and Bro on the lower levels. Dave has no sympathy at the thought of the zombies being littered with the same shurikens and cherry bombs that he has dodged his entire life. John had helped his father put together packets of sharp hardware to be triggered like landmines. But none of those traps would guarantee stopping the zombies. They would only inflict damage that might slow them down to make them easier to kill.

Dave and John cover the stairwell as Bro and Egbert move large pieces of furniture out from the empty apartments. Bro hides the stiffness from his injuries very well and pushes through the pain. Dave hands him painkillers as soon as it is safe to take the next interval.

Egbert sets larger traps, utilizing most of their supplies to inflict greater damage and potential kills. He abandons the floor only when John gives the signal that the zombies are a floor below them. They retreat to the stairwell where Bro and Dave take point at the next unfinished barricade.

Several zombies try to come up the stairs, pressed forward by mindless need, but are quickly cut down with sharp katanas. Their slow stumbling movements are easy to predict and easier to stop. Their headless bodies fall back onto others who would try to approach. Dave and Bro work well together in the narrow channel, Bro taking tall swings over Dave's short ones, as John and Egbert move a large dresser into place. They wait patiently as Dave and Bro continue to fight, keeping the horde of zombies back. Dave smiles grimly when he hears John quip something about Sparta and the movie 300 .

They hear the traps being set off below them, hopefully taking out several of the zombies at once and providing the rest with food. When the zombie mass on the stairs begins to thin and Dave feel his limbs grow tired, knowing Bro is probably worse, he calls a retreat. They throw a small explosive down to cover them as the Striders slip behind the dresser. Egbert shoulders it into place.

They return upstairs to let the traps on the floors kill the zombies. They hope that with that many bodies to feast on and approaching night, the zombies would be satisfied and not attempt to break through and climb up any further.

* * *

Egbert sits on the fire escape and watches the zombies slowly wander away from their building. The smoke of the last cigarette swirls lazily in the still air, hanging around his head as the zombies are hanging around the neighboring buildings. He watches their patterns with a passive eye.

* * *

John and Dave are curled up on Dave's bed, exchanging kisses and stories about how it was until they don't have any more tears to waste on the past. They drift off to sleep with their fingers entwined and murmurs of love on their lips.

* * *

Bro stares at the ceiling. The pain meds have worn off and his body throbs from a long day of working with injuries. He wonders how they'll make it and where they should go next. Dave said his other two friends were far away, one up north, probably safe with the cold, and the other on a distant island, probably safe in isolation. Of course they had to be the ones in the middle of a city.

He stares at the ceiling and reviews all of the zombie movies he's watched over the years in his head and thinks about how many of them warn against going out alone. He curses himself for being such an idiot and putting Dave in such danger.


	4. Chapter 4

Warning: Major Character Death

- Day Twenty Three -

The zombies have retreated away from the building enough that Egbert deems it safe to go down and clear out the floors to get back to the lobby. The influx of bodies as food seems to have sated them and Egbert theorizes that they are staying nearby only because this was the source of their last feast.

Bro's injuries have healed for the most part with only superficial bruising marking his transgressions.

They descend down to the lower levels, undoing the barricades and exposing the bodies that were left. With masks and gloves, they work to clear the bodies out of the stairwell. They throw the corpses into empty apartments.

Dave rubs John's back as he heaves farther down the hall. Bro continues to work through the sick sounds and textures from the rotting bodies. Limbs were separated from torsos, large chunks were missing from meaty areas. They were beyond reconstruction, beyond recognition even to race, gender, weight. Sometimes a clue would show through, revealing something of a past life such as a recognizable scrap of cloth or a ring still on a finger, but these are ignored to maintain peace of mind.

The once beige carpets of the stairwell and hall are now stained black with infected blood. Egbert splashes buckets of bleach cut with precious water over the worse spots to eliminate the disease and to combat the stench of the dead.

Floor by floor they clear the way. Egbert inspects the damage done by the traps and disarms those that failed to go off. The lingering scent of burnt flesh accompanies scorch marks line the wall. Splatters of black blood accompany scattered hardware, debris embedded into the walls.

The finally get down to the chainlink fence of their makeshift barricade and note how it was the sheer volume of bodies thrown against the metal that warped it enough to give the zombies passage. Egbert repairs it as much as he can before deciding to slide an armoire to block the passage instead.

"Hang on, Egbert." Bro catches him before he slides the furniture fully into place. "We can clean out the lobby too. Maybe set up some more perimeter traps."

"We don't have many supplies left and there are a lot of entrances."

"It would still give us warning so maybe we could get a little more sleep. It's not that bad out there."

Egbert looks at him coolly, not having to say anything with the gore of the horde still around them.

"I know what it looks like. But I must have brought every single zombie in a ten block radius home with me and I am so fucking sorry for that. Honestly I barely saw any of them while I was out there. I still had fingers on my second hand left when I picked up the juice."

Egbert's expression remains flat even as John and Dave creep closer to listen to the conversation.

"We can't stay locked up in our fucking ivory tower forever. Gonna run out of food and water before the zombies get to us. We have to get out there eventually. The lobby is a good start."

John recognizes the way his father tenses his jaw as resolution against the proposal. "Dad, it's actually a pretty good idea." Bro looks over at the unexpected help. "I mean, we've come this far and still have some time left and I'm not really tired yet, are you Dave?" Dave shakes his head. "And all four of us are here so if something does go down we can get each other out."

Bro stays quiet even as he watches Egbert waver on the topic. Finally Egbert's shoulders slump a little as he looks between their three faces. "Alright, but no one steps outside. We just clear a perimeter. John, Dave, you are on watch. Dirk and I will be doing the heavy lifting."

"Yes, sir."

They creep past the armoire with weapons drawn. The lobby looks clear of any upright undead and none of the corpses strewn about are moving either. Bro hides his cringe as he notices that it is in much worse condition than before due to his mistakes.

Egbert and Bro do a perimeter check as John and Dave cover them at the stairs. The boys give a sigh of relief when Egbert gives the all clear.

"Set up here and here and shout at any movement. Any at all. Do you understand me?" The boys nod and move to the two main entrances with the large panels of broken and missing glass. Egbert and Bro start clearing out the bodies, tossing them either outside or to be locked up later in the mailroom, the best mausoleum the dead will get these days.

Dave kicks at the jagged pieces of the glass out of the edges of the window because he doesn't like how they remind him of teeth. It gives him something to do besides think about how the streets he knew so well have changed. He tries not to think on how the entire city now feels like a zombie. He tries not to wonder if any of the people he knew around here, the clerk at the closest quick mart that would give him an extra chocolate bar, the bagger at the local grocery store he would flirt with, the bullies from school that would pick on him, the bus driver who helped him out in elementary school, the bus driver that didn't in middle school, the old man that would sit by the news stand he can't see anymore, if any of them made it out alive.

John fidgets with his gun as he continues to scan the edges of the street. There is a different alien feel to these buildings than the one he felt when he first arrived. Everything looks strange in a new area when one first gets there. He was just getting used to the crowded close buildings and the loudness that comes from so many people living together. But now they are foreign again.

The boys trade glances every once in a while across the lobby and look back to the adults. Everything is silent except for the wet thumps of dead body parts being moved around. John holds back a comment about it being 'too quiet' out of fear of jinxing them. Just as his thoughts turn with bad timing to how Dave was not quiet at all when John finally got the chance to do him, John hears the kicked pebble skitter across the street.

His ears direct him to the source of the movement just as the pebble settles. He looks up at the alleyway to see startling quick movement.

"Dad!"

"Fuck!"

The guardians look to their respective charges as they both give alarm. John is firing quick rounds into the crowd approaching from his side. Dave has his blade out and gets into a fighting stance against the wide open window. The guardians exchange glances and then lunge towards the nearest kid.

Egbert whips out the pistol that was tucked into his holster on his waistband and starts shooting over Dave's shoulder at the front of the oncoming wave. He finally reaches the blonde and grabs the back of his collar and tugs him away from the window.

"Get to the stairs!"

Bro dashes past John and cuts down the enemy as John reloads. Heads fly and bodies collapse. As soon as he hears the boy's shout, he turns and runs at John, ducking his shoulder to catch and lift the boy up.

"Keep shootin'!" Bro doesn't flinch as the hot cartridges from John's gun bounce off his back as he carries him away from the window.

The four of them meet at the stairs just as the horde clears the empty windows. Bro glances behind him and catches a leaping zombie at the end of his sword. It crashes into the wall to be cut down with a second swing. Egbert shoves the boys onto the stairs before swinging his gun around to take out another leaper from the other side, the bullet landing directly between it's eyes.

"Get up the stairs to the apartment!" Bro growls at he takes out two zombies with a single swipe. Egbert lays out two more zombies before sweeping across to take out out over Bro's shoulder.

"We're not leaving," John shouts back as he reloads his gun with another of the spare magazines.

"This is no time for argument, son."

"Then I guess you guys will have to let us cover your asses." The sword clinks in Dave's hands.

"Dave, get upstairs!" Bro lunges at a zombie that is dodging the other bodies falling back.

"No!" Dave slices down at a hand reaches out towards his brother's back before following up with a decapitation.

"Get back on the stairs." Egberts ducks down to let John cover him while he reloads. "Cover from the stairs." He takes out a zombie per bullet on the next clip.

Bro's sword flicks silver through the undead crowd. His own form doesn't stay visible for more than a second at a time to lay a clean strike. Adrenaline pumps cleanly through his veins. He doesn't feel his injuries at all as he moves faster than the eye and takes out a zombie a breath.

When Egbert finishes the clip he hands it back to his son with one hand and slides the rifle on the shoulder strap from his back to aim at the incoming horde, continuing the sharp bark of a gun without missing a beat. As Egbert clears some space with his long range weapon, he sweeps over again to give Bro some breathing room.

"Dad! Watch out!" John's shouts even over the ringing in their ears at the multiple gunshots.

Egbert whirls about and uses the butt of his rifle to knock away a zombie that was about to clamp down on his shoulder. He feels a hot sting scrape across his upper arm but puts it out of his mind as he follows up with a shot to the head that splatters black blood back into the crowd.

John can feel Dave trembling as the blonde presses his shoulder against his side. He counts how many magazines they have left and can't get to a happy number. He glances wide eyed over at his boyfriend finding the same frightened look but neither of them are about to back down and leave their guardians to fight. John passes Dave two of the magazines and trades places with him so that he can shoot over Bro's head into the deeper crowd. Dave cuts down a few of the faster ones as they try to duck past when Egbert changes his aim to cover the middle section.

Bro notices the change in behavior first. The zombies slowly become more interested in the unanimated corpses over even their still alive flesh. He changes to take out only those that reach for the humans and leave the others to drag their new meals back out. Egbert picks up on it as well as the back section of his side of the horde has already snagged their piece from the dead. He quickly mops up the remaining stragglers before fitting his last pre-loaded clip into his hot gun.

"They're retreating." Bro's voice sounds muffled to their abused eardrums but it's enough to get the point across. He pushes the boys up the stairs with a dark glower before tugging on Egbert's shirt to communicate to him that they need to stand down now. Egbert agrees with a nod and lets Bro and his katana cover them. As soon as Bro slips past the armoire, Egbert shoves it close.

"Everyone alright?" Egbert makes eye contact with each one of them and waits for confirmation before turning towards the stairs.

"Oh shit!" Egbert can barely hear Bro's exclamation before he is being pulled back down to the landing. "Strip now."

Egbert frowns at the command before he finally follows Bro's finger to the stain on his sleeve which is a mixture of red and black.

"Strip. Goddamn it. Get it off!" Bro's hands are at his waist pulling the shirt out and tugging it up and off. The black splatter from all of the close range shots makes the white fabric stick to his skin. Egbert catches the pale terrified expression of his son as Dave grips John's arm with white knuckles. Bro viciously throws the shirt to the far corner of the hall as if it it is at fault for the threat of an infected injury.

Egbert blinks down at the wound on his upper arm, remembering briefly the jagged hand that reached out to try to carve into his flesh. It had only made shallow grooves across his skin, drawing blood from the skin instead of the muscle. The red smears touch black below the wound and Egbert stares at the black drop rolling down his shoulder before the vision is blocked by a crumpled polo shirt bunched in Bro's hands. Bro pulls away and brushes over the wound and surrounding arm again and again with a different section of his shirt until it is only stained with red.

He hears John's choked sob and Dave's calming murmurs. He meets bright orange eyes that flash with anger, fear, and more emotions than Egbert can name.

"Need to get you upstairs to get this properly cleaned." Bro's voice starts out rough as he speaks through those emotions. "Nothing peroxide and arnica can't fix though it burns like hell. Ain't that right, Dave? No gangrenous infections for ya despite how many times I beat your ass into the tar roof." He finishes with a smirk that doesn't quite reach up to his eyes.

Egbert takes a couple breaths to steady himself against the situation and takes stock of the current. He can't help but find it slightly amusing that Bro has him pressed up against the wall both without a shirt and with their two charges watching. Not that Egbert hasn't seen Bro without a shirt. He did invade the Strider's home in the middle of summer after all. But Bro has never this close. Egbert was never able to smell the sweat on his skin like this before. Never able to stare into those rings of flame around dark pupils blown wide between the darkness of the stairwell and residual chemicals still making his heart pump over time.

He lets his exhaustion catch up with him just enough to reassure his body that they were out of danger so far before nodding at Bro.

Bro watches the stormy gray eyes closely before finally stepping away and shooing the kids up the stairs. He takes the rear again, glad that he hasn't heard or at least can't hear any movement on the other side of the barricade.

* * *

Bro was right. It did hurt like hell when he poured the peroxide over the fresh wound. So much so that Egbert does not mentally chide himself for using the word. He clenches his teeth as the chemical bubbles and hisses as it cleans. Bro tends to him with a professionalism that comes from treating too many wounds. Dad doesn't ask questions.

Once Dad is properly bandaged up, Bro does a thorough check of himself and the two boys before ordering showers and rest. He sits Egbert on the futon where he watches amusedly as Bro busies himself on the gas camping stove top with dinner.

* * *

Dave carefully rubs the shampoo through John's hair, trying to keep the number of times his fingers catch on snags to a minimum. He doesn't like the way John's hands shake even as they hold tight to Dave's hips. Dave finally tips his head back and slowly pours the bucket of water over his hair, rinsing it with long combing fingers until it runs clear of suds. His hands then use some body wash as an excuse to touch every inch of John's skin to reassure himself that John does not have any red wounds or black drips on him. Blue eyes are ringed with red from John's emotions at seeing his father that close to-

Dave cuts himself off and steps closer to John to reach his back. Thoughts of cleaning are swept away though when John steps into him until his back is square against the chilled tile, making Dave arch against his warm wet boyfriend. John's lips are frantic on his, seeking reassurance and a release of the pent up, ragged emotions caused by the fight. Dave grabs him by the face and holds him tightly in the kiss letting his own tumultuous feelings make themselves known. Nothing is said but they still understand each other's fears, angers, worries, apologies, hopes, and loves.

After the initial flood, John's hands stop shaking so much and Dave turns his kisses tender. John's hands start to rub at Dave's skin using the transfer from his body to push suds around starting at the edges of his chest and slowly working his way down to his hips. Dave gasps in his mouth when John wraps a hand around his half hard dick and starts to stroke it to full mast. Dave clings to him and starts rocking his hips to thrust into John's hands and against his slick body. The soft panting sounds echo in the small room even as Dave bites his lips against the way John kisses the side of his neck.

The emotional roller coaster plus the slickness of John's hands thanks to the soap and the clever use of his teeth against his pulse point has Dave melting into John's arms before suddenly stiffening as his orgasm crests.

As Dave slumps against the wall, John uses the next bucket to rinse the body wash of their skin. Dave comes around as the cold water finally pulls goosebumps on his skin instead of feeling pleasant with the Houston heat and layers of sweat and grime. He drags John out of the shower and wraps him up in a towel before getting one for himself. He's never been more glad for his brother's obsession with the fluffiest towels, stealing them from the downtown hotels when he could just because he could.

"You have great stress relief ideas, John," Dave tells him as they dry off. "A bit chilly but I really shouldn't be complaining 'cause it was nice, awesome, something that I needed. Heh, who knew I'd be something of an adrenaline junkie because yea I'm still kinda trembling and I'm the only one that got off, do you want me to do something? I'm totally up for anything short of probably bending over for you though if you really want that-"

"I'm okay, Dave. Really. Still not really over the whole zombie thing and then with Dad-" he hides his blotchy face under the towel. Dave dives in after him and kisses him soundly to take his mind off of it.

"Okay, okay, I'll owe you a blow job or something. Just, shhh," Dave tries to calm him. "Hey, lets go get with the old guys and have a cuddle pile on the futon. I think we all deserve a cuddle pile."

They return to the main room with loose comfortable pajamas. John goes immediately to curl up into his father's side. Dave stops by the kitchen and helps Bro bring over plates of food. Bro tries to sit at his desk but Dave drags him over to the futon and the four of them settle down together with John nestled between his father's good side and Dave with Bro leaning against his brother's other side.

They quietly eat their dinner and bask in the fact that they are still alive.

* * *

- Day Twenty Four -

Bro wakes up first. He disentangles himself from the Strider-Egbert pile without disturbing anyone else. He grabs some food and something to drink before heading out to the fire escape. He pauses by the futon and drops a kiss onto Dave's temple. He catches gray-blue eyes watching him as he straightens up. With a sheepish grin he waves at Egbert before taking watch.

* * *

John wakes up next. He has to jostle Dave off of him to get out between his boyfriend and father before stumbling to the bathroom. Dave stretches and yawns as he sits on the edge of the futon.

"Thank you, Dave."

He startles at the soft voice. "Ah, no problem? Actually what are you thanking me for?"

"For taking care of him."

"Oh, that. Well, I just love the dork and all. It's kinda hard not to."

Egbert chuckles at him. "Please continue to do you."

"Hey, hey, don't talk like that. Just because we've had close calls, and everyone now has had close calls, we can't talk like that. We are going to make it. No zombie is gonna make a meal outta us. No zombie, you hear!" Dave's voice breaks a little as his fists clench up. Egbert sits up and wraps his good arm around Dave and pulls him in.

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm sorry. You are right. We'll survive. You did well last night. We all did well and we can make it." He glances up and sees John standing there. "Why don't the two of you catch up on sleep on a real bed? I think I'm going to let my bones rest here if Bro will continue the watch."

"Nothin' exciting to report out," the elder Strider calls back as John pulls Dave to his bedroom.

John tumbles them onto the bed and starts kissing away Dave's tears and grabs his hands to stop the shaking. He strips Dave of his tee shirt, tossing his aside as well. His kisses down Dave's chest, trying to will the sobs trapped inside away.

His hands slip under Dave's waistband and stroke his hips until his trembling turns to shivers of anticipation. John slides off of him to take off his own pants and to grab the lube and a condom tucked into Dave's nightstand. He pins Dave down again as soon as he pulls his pants off by straddling his hips. Dave gasps as their erections brush and John resumes kissing his collarbone and neck. He arches over the pale body below him as he balances carefully to free his hands. He coats his finger with lube, dripping some on Dave's stomach, before reaching back to touch himself.

"John, John!" Dave squirms under him, trapped to his boyfriend's whims. John moans into his neck as he stretches himself out with two fingers. Dave snatches the condom out of John's other hand and makes quick work rolling the latex down over himself. John pours more lube over that before stroking it smooth and lining himself up. He slowly sinks down on Dave's cock. Dave fights all instinct to keep perfectly still as John settles down on his hips. "Fuck, John."

John takes a moment to rest and adjust, laying more kisses across Dave's face, before starting to rock his hips back and forth. He pushes up with his thighs until Dave is barely still in him before slipping back down. Dave can't hold back the moans that accompany each stroke. He aids what he can with hands on John's hips.

"I love you, Dave."

"Holy fuck, I love you too. God how do you feel so good? Always feel good. make me feel good too. Everything is good. Fuck, you're good."

"Use a thesaurus, Dave."

"Awesome, amazing, freakin sweet, incredible, unbelievable, extraordinary, great, mind blowing, fantastic, excellent-" John cuts him off with a kiss and a grind downwards with his hips. "Oh fuck!"

John slowly increases his speed until the bed springs lodge a constant complaint against the rocking motion. Dave's words dissolve down into nonsense as John leans up to bounce at a different angle that makes his own moans choked gasps. John's hands press down on Dave's chest, his flexing fingers making trails of red over the muscle. Dave's tight grip on John's hips threaten to leave bruises.

John can't help but to lean over and taste the taut skin on Dave's throat as Dave arches back to get more leverage to thrust up into his riding boyfriend. John hovers as Dave's hips slam up into him in rapid thrusts that knocks John's lips against his collarbone with grinning kisses.

"John! God, I love you!"

His words set something off in John and Dave is pressed down into the mattress. John's hips are almost violently rocking back and forth in a frantic rhythm that has Dave writhing and gasping.

"Dave, Dave, Dave Dave Dave!" The chant of his name slides up in range as pleasure coils at his center until he could snap at the slightest touch. Which happens when Dave reaches up to gently stroke the side of his face. John goes rigid for a moment as he paints Dave's chest before collapsing down over him.

"John, as awesome as you are... do you think I could..."

John blinks at him for a couple seconds before realizing Dave was still hard inside him. He falls to the side, slipping off of Dave with a gasp. He knocks Dave's hands away as he peels off the condom, tossing it away for later clean up. He then wraps his hand around Dave's cock and pumps him quickly while planting kisses to his mouth until he is too breathless to kiss back. Then John slips down to murmur in his ear.

"Dave, god Dave, you felt so wonderful inside me. Letting me ride you until I came on your cock. I love the way you moan if you are fucking me or if I am fucking you. I love the way you say my name, Dave," he continues as he strokes Dave into a writhing mess until Dave clutches John's arm as he comes as well.

He shifts his grip to hold John's hand as he recovered from his orgasmn. "Wow."

"Nothing like sex to distract you from zombies."

"Is that what this was all about?"

"Well that, and I love you."

"I love you too, John."

* * *

"So they have really backed down?" Egbert asks as he climbs through the window.

"As far as I can tell. Haven't seen an undead soul. Makes me wonder."

Egbert waits a beat for Strider to tell him before prompting, "Wonder about?"

"If the zombies have souls. Like if they are still trapped in those rotting bodies and we are saving each one that we permanently stop. If they are even still aware of being undead. How much zombie movies miss in trying to capture realism. What's rucking them up if they aren't here? Who is left in this city that doesn't want to eat my brains? The usual."

"Deep thoughts there, Strider."

"I'm as deep as the Mariana's Trench when I'm high. Used to get high all the time at my favorite record store before it burned down. Haven't touched the stuff since though. Maybe I'm having a flashback to the good old days as my brain tries to escape this hell. But honestly I want to know what is out there that's better than our bed and breakfast buffet that we set up in the lobby."

"That is a very good question."

"Not that I am itching to go out and look."

"Also very good. I don't want anyone going out after yesterday's close call."

"Though listening to the brats get it on in the other room is not my favorite way to spend a Saturday."

"Is today a Saturday?"

"I have no earthly clue. I didn't pay attention before the world ended. Sure as heck ain't gonna pay attention now. If I don't have to work, it's a Saturday." Egbert chuckles and they fall into companionable silence for a while.

"We will have to move eventually. Supplies are getting low."

"I know."

* * *

- Day Thirty -

For once, the adults aren't on the fire escape when Dave sees movement. It's not down at street level but just above the skyline. He stares at it trying to decide if his mind has snapped or if he is really seeing a military grade helicopter buzzing around out there. He recognizes the building it drops down in front of and is on his feet before he knows it.

He could bring back help, because he is sure that zombies can't fly helicopters and military means that they have weapons and probably supplies like food or water. All much as Egbert and Bro tried to hide it, Dave noticed the way his portions were getting smaller. He didn't quite know what they were waiting for. Well maybe they were waiting for a sign like this. If they could get to where that helicopter landed then they could get help. And he knew where it was, well he didn't know the exact name of the place and he didn't remember the street it was on, but he knows that it serves- served the best hamburgers and shakes in the little diner on the ground floor. But there was no way that Bro would know that place and Egbert wouldn't let him go out. The helicopter would take off before they got through arguing with him if they believed him at all. Egbert wouldn't want to go that direction, farther into the city in the first place. John wouldn't stay here alone despite the fact he should. But help is right down the street.

The arguments run through his head as he ducks back inside and grabs a water bottle before going to his room. John is still passed out on his bed, curled up and adorable. Dave smiles to himself and leans over to place a kiss on his temple. He picks up his sword and goes to his window.

He doesn't have a fire escape out his window like in the main room but there is a drainage pipe down the side of the building that he used once before to get away from one of Bro's strifes. He remembers that the apartment two floors down stands empty and unlocked.

Maybe Egbert won't be mad at him when he comes back with the Army behind him, he thinks to himself as he uses all those 'ninja' skill Bro taught him to get down the pipe.

* * *

"Dad?" John whispers. "Dave's gone."

Egbert's eyes go wide and he quickly glances over at the untouched barricaded door and then over at Bro who is thankfully sitting away from them. He looks up at John again with the question "Are you sure?" in his eyes.

John nods and swallows hard.

With a heavy heart and the taste of fear in his mouth, Egbert stands and walks over to Bro. He rests a heavy hand on his shoulder. Orange eyes glance up at him over the top of those angular glasses.

"Dave's gone out." Egbert clenches down and catches Bro's shirt as he tries to launch himself to his feet.

"What!? This isn't a cute prank, Egbert." Bro glowers at Egbert. He pushes to his feet despite Egbert's heavy hand bunched in his shirt.

"Not a prank," Egbert argues quietly.

"The door's not opened and I'm pretty sure he didn't teleport himself out. And we broke the fire escape weeks ago," Bro snarls, throwing his body around for emphasis and a bit to get out of Egbert's grip.

"I- I think he went... out the bedroom window," John offers timidly.

"You were in there! Why didn't you stop him?"

"I was asleep!"

"Brilliant boyfriend you are!" Bro snaps, orange eyes flashing dangerously at the boy.

Bro is slammed up against the nearby wall, his head smacking against the drywall. "Do not blame my son. No one but Dave is to blame. He knows what might happen. He knows the consequences. He knows what choice he made."

"Fuck you."

"Did you not do the same?" Egbert pointedly looks at the discoloring still present on Bro's cheek.

"Let me go so I can go after him."

"No."

"Fucking let me go!"

"What direction did he go?" Egbert counters.

"It doesn't matter! I'll find him!"

"You'll get yourself killed. You could get him killed if he's not dead already."

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!" Bro roars. His voice rings in the silence as Egbert continues to calmly stare him down.

"You can't go after him. All you can do is hope and pray he comes back. All we can do is get ready to leave. We will not survive the wave that he is sure to bring home."

"Fuck you." The venom in his voice is countered by the pitiful sigh of defeat.

"We are all fucked if we don't work quickly." John stares at his father's use of a curse word. Bro doesn't stop glaring but nods all the same.

* * *

John stands watch at the door that leads out to the parking lot which slopes down to the cars. Egbert and Bro carry the bags and boxes of their supplies down to the least damaged truck. Ammo is the most populous of their supplies as food and water are getting low. The heavy metal boxes thump and clink together in the bed of the truck. When John mentions that the cab only holds three, Bro growls out that he'll tie Dave to the roof in punishment. John tries not to laugh at the resulting mental picture.

* * *

He hadn't seen a zombie so far. He knows he's close as the buildings get more nostalgic despite the trash and debris. (He tries to ignore the splashes of blood.) This place had such good food that he would take the bus all the way in even on crowded Saturdays. He even tried to bring a date there but they had no taste. Didn't stop him from enjoying his burger and shake. He can almost taste the grease from his memories.

Just a couple more blocks.

Then he'll be able to ask for help.

* * *

The sun is hot and creates sweat marks on Bro's polo and Egbert's sleeveless shirt. John manages to stay in the shade but still the air billows hot breaths at him. He keeps his head and eyes constantly moving. He scans the nearby streets and alleys and checks the corners of the building. His palms are slick against the grip of his pistol. He's twitchy as the heat creates shimmering mirages along the asphalt and he has to continually restrain his gun to his side. It wouldn't do to shoot his runaway boyfriend.

No one wants to bring up what they will do if Dave does not return by nightfall. With their food stuffs already at the bottom of the stairwell and their constant exterior activity, they are just asking for nearby zombies to stop by. And Egbert was correct in his assessment that they can't rely on their luck to survive another wave of zombies. If there are no attacks during the day then they might make the night but will have to depart in the morning, younger Strider or not.

* * *

Well this isn't supposed to happen, Dave thinks to himself as bullets shatter the corner of the building is hiding behind. He obviously is not of the shuffling undead or even one of the speedy not quite alive infected. He is absolutely human by all standards of appearance. He even wore a relatively clean shirt. The color of his blood would also confirm his humanness, he thinks wryly as he looks down at his hand covered with red instead of black.

They should definitely know what the other looks like based on the mound of bodies building up against the side of the barricade. Dave had caught a glimpse of the pile of fresh meat that was being used as bait just before the nearest gun had swung towards him.

Thankfully instinct had kicked in and he had ducked behind the nearest car. He had put his hands up for them to see just as soon as the volley of bullets stopped beating against the metal of the trunk.

"Human! I'm human! Hey, don't shoot! No cravings for brains here!" Dave called out. He tried standing up again but another volley kept him pinned. "Dudes! Seriously! I just wanna get some help for me and my Bro, well my boyfriend and his Dad too!" There was no way they couldn't hear his words in the otherwise deafening silence. "Can you guys NOT shoot a survivor!"

"Kid! Get outta here. Orders are to purge! Zomb or human!"

"Quiet corporal."

"Run kid!"

"Shoot him, he could still be infected. No immunization."

Dave's blood ran cold and he used the panic to get to the street around the corner with bullets flying around him. The hot lancing pain through his side only made him stumble the last step into safety.

Oh that's funny, it hurts to laugh, those guys were supposed to be safe.

* * *

None of them are particularly religious. Bro just had his exposure to it through living in part of the bible belt. Egbert used to go to synagogue, taken by his mother through his childhood and then through early adulthood by habit. He continued the tradition with John until an incident at their local synagogue make them draw away and they never found another one. Nonetheless, the three of them are silently praying to any higher being above them that Dave would return, that he wasn't lying in one of the streets dead or worse turned. Bro's guts clench at the thought. He wouldn't be able to strike down Dave. He would rather be turned himself. And he knew John wouldn't be able to either. That left Egbert. Bro prayed that Egbert would be able to do what he could not.

* * *

The path home seems much farther than it did going in. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the lead in his limbs. Maybe it's the gaping hole in his side.

He can barely hold onto the handle of his sword. Bro will tan his hide with his belt if he loses it.

* * *

There is an air of finality as Egbert starts loading the food as well just as the sun starts to touch the tops of the tall buildings. Bro's face gets a pinched look behind his shades and John starts shifting his weight from foot to foot, watching the adults as much as the streets. He dreads both the moment when Egbert declares the plan and Bro's reaction to such a plan.

* * *

Just a couple more blocks. Come on, Strider. Just a couple more. Then home.

He feels slightly delusional and more than a little woozy. His shirt and jeans were ruined and he could feel wetness in his shoe. He's so messy sometimes. Bro hated when he would get dorito crumbs all over the futon. Mostly because he would discovered them upon his cheek the next morning.

He's made a mess of things again.

* * *

The last bag lands with the other just as movement catches John's eye. He stares at the spot a little longer to make sure its not just another ripple of distorted air.

"There! There! Down there!" Both adults grab their weapons as they follow John's pointing arm. "Dave!"

Bro darts forward faster than the Egberts can track. They follow quickly, John overtaking his father with long strides. He's close enough to see Dave stumble and Bro slide the last few feet to get under him. The first thing John notices as he gets close to where Bro is cradling Dave against his chest is that there is too much red even for Dave's usual choice in clothes. And some of that red is on his lips and chin and now on Bro's hands. Bro's shaking hands.

"Cavalry arrived. And by that I mean military, but they have friendly fire turned on. I saw a helicopter. Landed by the burger joint. Know the place, Bro? They are purging the city apparently of black and red and everyone is a target and I can't run faster than bullets. Bet you can, Bro."

"Dave, you fucking imbecile," Bro growls out, a choked sob deflecting his anger.

"Heh, like moron, like imbecil, I guess." Dave takes a shuddery breath that ends with coughs that bring up more blood. "But yea, the bastards aren't gonna help us out. The military dogs shot me as if you couldn't tell and not by accident. Hey, I made an anime reference, Bro. One last one. Military dogs, heh."

"Shit, Dave," Bro says softly. "Good one."

"You guys need to get out of here before they get here. Dunno if on my trail," he breaks to gasp again, "but damn, bullets hurt. At least I'm human to feel it. I feel like I could pull a reference for that too."

"Dave shut up!" John yells at him, dropping to his knees. "Stop talking. Just stop talking so we can save you." His hands get covered in red too as he tries to find the wound. His brain is screaming at him to get pressure on it, pulling from his first aid lessons.

"John, John, Johnny boy. Shit. We didn't get to the petname stage. I had a bunch lined up for you."

"Shut up!" Tears are streaming down John's face. Blood smears on his cheeks as he instinctively tries to wipe them away.

Dave sorta smiles up at him, the blood staining his lips and teeth. "I can't stop talking, John. It's a Strider thing. Motormouth is our middle name. And besides," cough, "if I stopped talking," cough, "how else would I get to say that I love you, John Egbert." He shudders and then goes still, his eyelids drooping and the smile fading.

"Dave!" John screams his name and pulls on his shirt. Bro bows his head over Dave. Egbert holds onto John's shoulders, gently pulling him away. "Dave!"

With shaky hands, Bro closes Dave's eyes. Egbert notices how pale Dave is when contrasted with Bro's fingers.

"It's a miracle he got this far."

"Nah." Bro pauses to swallow down a pitiful noise. "Nah. It's a Strider thing. Always come home." A tear drop falls from his chin to splash against and mix with the blood on Dave's. "Always told him to come home."

"Dave," John sobs. "Goddamnit, Dave. We are supposed to go to Rose's together. Fuck. What am I going to tell her?" Egbert finally pulls him away and draws him into a tight embrace. John buries his face against the comforting chest.

"Human. Thank God he died human," Bro murmurs.

Except for John's whimpering sobs, silence falls around them. Egbert wonders about the blood trail, but can't break the vigil to make mention of it. The absence of zombies has to mean than the military presence Dave spoke of must be having an effect. Though it was still a bullet that had- Egbert balks at the thought.

Egbert can trace Dave's line of thought. He saw the helicopter and thought whoever was flying it would be able to help them get out of there. With supplies at least. Egbert still couldn't understand why he went without telling them though.

His musings are interrupted by the loud sound of a engine reverberating down the silent streets.

"Those sons of bitches," Bro snarls as he stands, lifting Dave's body with him. "Get to the car and get out of here. I'll cover you."

"And you'll catch up later," Egbert supplies forcefully.

Bro just grins wryly at him, a manic angry gleam in his eyes. "Get my boy out of the city, Egbert." Bro holds Dave out and Egbert's arms slip underneath and take the weight. Bro draws his swords with a metallic ring and turns back to the coming military presence.

"Bro!" He glances over his shoulder and sees John holding out his handgun to him. "Take some down for me." A fresh wave of tears flows down his cheeks as he turns and follows his father to the truck.

Egbert slips into the front seat and places Dave gently next to him. John enters from the other side and pulls him close as Egbert starts the car.

The military engines get louder as they turn the corner into line of sight and the buildings are no longer blocking the sound. John turns and watches out the back window when he hears a sharp gunshot and the squealing of brakes. Bro had shot out a front tire and the jeep careens onto the sidewalk to be stopped by a metal newsstand. Bro empties the clip at the jeep as the occupants attempt to right themselves from the impact. John can hear return fire as his father pulls out of the parking lot away from the battle. John hears human screams and a battle roar and sees splashes of red.

The men in the jeep won't follow them as John and Egbert speed away. They somehow get to the edge of the city without using a highway which Egbert assumes would be watched. The truck cuts into the flat open land for an hour before Egbert finally turns towards the larger roads. The empty space is unnerving after living so long in the urban environment, but the lack of movement, military, human, or zombie is comforting.

John's sobs eventually quiet down as he runs out of tears just before Egbert passes a wide open field. He gently pulls over to the side and sees the ground is soft from farming that probably happened just before the outbreak. He throws together some tools from the supplies in the back and creates a makeshift shovel. It's slow work under the hot Texan sun, but Egbert only breaks to get some water.

The grave isn't as neat as he would like it to be, but it will keep him safe from scavenging animals or a wandering zombie. He pulls out one of the blankets from the back and lays it at the bottom. He gently lifts the body from John's arms and places it on top, gently folding it over. John stares at the blood on his hands numbly as his father starts replacing the dirt.

When Egbert takes another water break, John leaps to his feet from the high truck bench. He picks up the shovel and continues the work.

He taps the top of the mound to tamp it down before angrily tossing the tool into the back of the truck. Egbert is right there to wrap him up in a hug as a fresh wave of grief hits him. Egbert allows him a moment to get it all out before guiding him back into the car. John still slumps against him, occasionally wiping his tears away.

His hiccuping breath is eventually lulled to sleep by the monotonous landscape and steady roar of the engine. He drifts off into a restless sleep where memories tug at his heart and pull tears from closed eyes.

* * *

- Day Thirty Seven -

Rainbow Falls, New York.

There is a soft metallic whirring noise as the gates slowly opened. The driveway twists its way through an evergreen forest. They hear the rushing of the river Rose mentioned in their chats over the years before they see the white geometric building. A tall willowy woman in a lab coat and long scarf and a young woman in a short comfortable skirt are waiting for them as they pull up to the front of the house.

The Egberts exit the car and John catches Rose glancing over his shoulder at the truck as she hugs him even before he can clear the door. He just shakes his head and swallows back a choking sob caught in his throat. Her eyes widen as she realizes the implications. John just holds her tighter as the shock goes through her.

"Ms. Lalonde."

"Egbert. I've made a cure."

* * *

Fin

* * *

A/N: My usual day after ramble. Happy Fourth of July everyone! No I am not quite sorry to write this, especially like this. And I did cry writing it. But now I kinda just smile at it as I know I am going to make everyone else cry. Perks of being an author. Well, like usual, please leave a review if you want. Feel free to fav/follow me for more stories though I probably won't have another holiday one until Thanksgiving. Check out my profile for the others, I rotate between PWP, fluff, and sadstuck. I also write bigger longer stories and currently have one half way published (sorry it's taking so long). I have a couple other stories in the works plus I've been writing for Striderclan on tumblr. My personal tumblr is AeacusTero. Feel free to pester me at the same chum handle when I am online. Thanks for reading.


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